The Inner Circle Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Inner Circle

John Milk is a senior in college when he is persuaded to take a marriage course given by Professor Kinsey in order to hear the material given during the discussions on sex. Professor Kinsey, or "Prok" is he becomes known as, is a controversial sex researcher in a time period when any discussion of sex was taboo. He gives extensive interviews, ultimately to thousands of people, in order to code and catalog the human sexual experience. John Milk eventually becomes his assistant, and helps Prok in his research. Prok preaches that human sexuality is just a biological urge, and ultimately Milk has a sexual relationship with the professor, his wife, and later, his colleages and their spouses.
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The conflict comes into play when he marries a confident outspoken woman, Iris, who doesn't like Prok controlling their lives and the sexual nature of Milk's work. Iris temporarily leave Milk for another man, and after the reconcile, they ultimately have a baby boy. She seems to be constantly unhappy and depressed. Getting more and more eccentric, Prok attempt to initiate an orgy of all of his employees, and their spouses. Disgusted, Iris leaves Milk. The couple again reconciles, but things aren't the same between them after that incident.